That Intersection

October 5th, 2017

The pedestrian crosswalk outside of UNC

With all the construction on campus, it is easy to forget all of the other minor annoyances because they simply seem lesser. The one thing that doesn’t seem to leave peoples mind, even if only for the hours you stand waiting for cars or the days you sit in your car waiting for those people to walk by, is the intersection outside of the UNC building. Anarchy is the only way to describe the intersection, and the comparison to the dysfunctional political ideology is apt.

There seems to be no solid order to decide who goes and when. It simply runs on the good intention of pedestrians. Choosing to stop and let a single car pass from each direction before another group of people walk past. I can understand the frustration that I overhear in conversation and the look in driver’s eyes as they are so close to getting away. The good news is that it won’t last for long.

With the construction comes new roads, as well as the closing of other roads. University way will become “a pedestrian-and bicycle-only public realm that provides a venue for student gatherings, informal interaction, festivals and celebration.” Which means that we are only suffering through for another short time.

In the meantime, we do have options. We can continue to be courteous to the drivers and let them pass one at a time… during slow traffic. To be even more courteous, we should let a significant number of cars pass so that we may ease up on the congestion. Now, this is not a solid plan unless the drivers are also on board. Too many times there is one driver who wants to follow the law and wait for pedestrians, but this seems like one time we should think about practicality. Letting six or seven cars go at once would allow for less congestion in a more efficient manner. Which means that when it is your turn and you are one of those six or seven lucky few to drive, take it.

Having pedestrians wait a little longer to let everyone get home a little sooner seems to be a fair trade. We all want to get home a little sooner, and that means it works for you when it’s your turn.